[AVB-AMG]

New Jersey, the state where I live, requires both front and rear license plates on all passenger vehicles, except for vehicles registered as 'historic', that are older than 25 years, which are required to only have one license plate mounted on the rear of the vehicle. All of my cars have rear license plates installed.

I have had my 2014 M6 Coupe since June of 2013 and like many of you, decided that installing a bracket, along with a my license plate on the front of my vehicle would be a major aesthetic blemish on the sleek front design of the car. I have not installed a front license plate on any of our vehicles since 2007 and have never had any problems about this issue with any Police officers in any state that I have traveled. The idea of the awful look, compounded by having to drill either 2 or 4 holes into the plastic front bumper is not appealing to me at all!

Well, last week I was finally pulled over by an LEO who asked me where my front license plate is? Specifically, it was a Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) Police Officer who was manning a booth at the Manhattan entrance to the Holland Tunnel that leads to NJ. In what I must assume is a very boring post, he must find something to help pass the time and this issue is one that he probably looks for on many nice vehicles.

In any event, he asked to see my paperwork, (Driver's License, Registration and Insurance ID Card), which I provided to him. He asked why I did not have a front license plate. I explained that I was waiting to receive the proper mounting bracket from my BMW Dealer and had the plate in the trunk of the car. I did not share with him that I had not requested that bracket from my Dealer (yet). He came back and said that since I have no infractions and my paperwork was in order that he would give me a warning, but that if he saw me again without a front license plate that he would issue me a ticket.

Then, being the smart-ass that I can be, I asked why was he concerned about this since I was in New York City at this location and my car is registered in NJ. He said that PANYNJ Police enforce the traffic laws of both New York and New Jersey. I admit that he is technically correct regarding the law and that I have been lucky so far as to not have had any prior warnings or tickets about this issue.

Yet it really does bug me that this is an issue at all. There are 17 states in this country that only require a rear license plate on passenger cars. E-ZPass cameras at most toll booths are positioned at both the front and rear of the toll-charging lane to record the license plate information of all vehicles passing through. Why is it really necessary to have two license plates, rear AND front....???

I have read that temporarily putting the front license plate on top of the dashboard facing out of the windshield is not acceptable, since most states that require front license plates on cars, (not trucks), have dimensional requirements that say it cannot be located more than 18 inches or so above the road level, or language along those lines.

I know that there are companies that sell license plate brackets that will screw into the front tow bolt socket so one does not have to drill holes into the plastic front bumper, but it still looks most unfortunate....

What are your thoughts and experiences with this?
Have you just bitten the bullet and installed the front plate and try to ignore how bad it looks?
Any other folks here who share my aesthetic preference to go without the front plate, even though it is required in your state?